Advocacy update: program keeps kids fed year-round: park and recreation agencies can become summer food sponsors to encourage program attendance.

Thirteen million children suffered from food insecurity in 2002, the most recent year for which the U.S. Department of Agriculture has data. Food insecurity refers to the lack of access to enough food to fully meet basic nutritional needs on a daily basis due to insufficient financial resources.

Good nutrition is essential for effective learning in school and children who aren't hungry learn better, act better and feel better.

To help low-income children get the nutrition they need, the federal government administers a number of nutrition programs through the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). FNS provides children and needy families better access to food and a healthy diet through its food assistance programs. These nutrition programs provide funds for eligible children to receive breakfast, lunch, snacks and occasionally dinner so that they can be fed year-round through local sponsors.

Thankfully, children from low-income families do not struggle to find a local sponsor for the National School Lunch Program. Indeed, approximately 95 percent of public schools participate in the National School Lunch Program, providing free and reduced-price lunch to children throughout the school year.

Just as learning does not end when school lets out for summer, however, neither does the need for good nutrition. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) helps children get the nutrition they need to learn, play and grow throughout the summer months when they are out of school.

Surprisingly, although millions of children depend on nutritious reduced price meals at school for nine months out of the year, just a fraction of them receive the free meals provided by the SFSP during the summer months. In fact, only two in 10 low-income children who receive school lunch also receive summer food when school is out.

This low use of the SFSP may be attributed to a lack of knowledge. A recent federal government study found that more than half of the parents or guardians whose children were nonparticipating, but SFSP-eligible during the previous school year were not aware of SFSP sites in their areas.

The SFSP is the single largest federal resource available for local sponsors who want to combine a meal program with a summer activity program. However, many schools and summer recreation programs are not aware that federal funds are available to provide free meals during the summer.

SFSP sponsors receive payments for serving healthy meals and snacks to children and teenagers, age 18 and younger, at approved sites in low-income areas. Most SFSP sites can provide up to two meals (breakfast and lunch or breakfast and dinner) or one meal and a snack. Park and recreation agencies, schools, private non-profit organizations and other public agencies may apply to sponsor the program. All sponsors receive training before starting the program to learn how to plan, operate and monitor a successful food service program. The payments that sponsors receive are based on the number of meals they serve and the documented costs of running the food program.

SFSP benefits children nutritionally by giving complete, wholesome meals, while parents benefit by having their food dollars stretched. The program encourages communities to provide safe places for children to go to be with other children and supportive adults. Sponsors receive funds to provide meals to complement recreational and educational programs that they have already planned.

Park and recreation agencies can help to increase participation in the SFSP by becoming sponsors, managing one or more SFSP sites, or supervising an activity or enrichment program that can serve as a SFSP site.

Becoming a Summer Food Service Program Sponsor

A park and recreation agency can become a sponsor by completing an application form supplied by the state administering agency and attending a training course. Forms documenting how many meals were served for the month must be submitted to the state agency. There is an administering and operating rate for each meal served. The sponsor will be reimbursed at that rate or for actual cost if it is less than that rate. There is no state or local match required to receive the federal dollars to operate a program.

Many government agencies, such as park and recreation departments, have no facilities to prepare meals. Meal preparation can be subcontracted to a school or other public or private food supplier with approved meal preparation facilities. The rate for meal preparation is negotiated. If your agency is interested in such an arrangement, contact the summer food state agency, or find another agency with whom to subcontract meal preparation.

Managing a Summer Food Service Program Site

A local park, swimming pool, community center, playground or summer camp can all serve as a SFSP site. Whatever the venue, a feeding site must be approved by the administering state agency as either an "open" or "enrolled" site.

Most SFSP sites are "open sites"--open to all children who go to the site during meal service times. An open site is eligible for the federal SFSP funds for all the children if it is located in a geographic area in which at least 50 percent of the children are low-income. This means that 50 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals at the elementary school that serves the area, or are low-income (below 185 percent of the federal poverty level) based on local census tract data.

Schools collect this information to qualify children for free or reduced price school meals. Park and recreation agencies can work with schools in their district to reach all of the eligible children who participate in agency activities.

An "enrolled" site is eligible for federal funds to serve all of the children enrolled in the program if at least 50 percent of the children can be documented to qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. These sites require the sponsor to have an application process for the program in order to offer food.

Whatever the type of site, SFSP meals can actually draw children to summer activities. Park and recreation departments seeking to expand their programs and reach more children in their community should think seriously about becoming a SFSP sponsor or managing a SFSP site.

At a time when Congress and the Administration are allocating substantial funds to improve children's educational achievement, research demonstrates that being well-fed is an important first step towards that goal. Nutrition programs are cost effective, proven interventions that help children to learn, grow and play.

Monica Hobbs Vinluan, J.D., is a senior policy associate for NRPA's Public Policy Division. She can be reached at [phone] or at [e-mail].

Action Alert

* Applications are due on June 15 in most states to become a SFSP sponsor. Contact your state agency now to familiarize yourself with the process.

* Get in touch with your state agency that administers child nutrition programs to help you increase participation. These agencies can be valuable partners and may even have useful materials (flyers, brochures, posters, etc) that you can use instead of developing your own.

* Apply for a grant with The Great American Bake sale at www.greatamericanbakesale.org.

Additional information:

Department of Agriculture's Food Nutrition Service homepage for SFSP: www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/summer/

State directory of contacts for SFSP: vvww.fns.usda.gov/cnd/contacts/state directory.htm

Information on SFSP from the Food Research and Action Center:www.frac.org/html/federal_ food_programs/programs/sfsp.html